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Living Desert Review

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Living Desert

Address: 47-900 Portola Ave., Palm Desert, CA | Map It
Phone: 760/346-5694
www.livingdesert.org

Category: Zoos/Aquariums
Location: Palm Desert

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Fodor's Review:

Come eyeball-to-eyeball with wolves, coyotes, mountain lions, cheetahs, bighorn sheep, golden eagles, warthogs, and owls at the Living Desert. Easy to challenging scenic trails traverse 1,200 acres of desert preserve populated with plants of the Mojave, Colorado, and Sonoran deserts in 11 habitats. But in recent years, the zoo has expanded its vision to Africa. A family of reticulated giraffes moved into the park in 2002. At the 3-acre African Wa TuTu village, there's a traditional marketplace as well as camels, leopards, hyenas, and other African animals. Children can pet African domestic animals, including goats and guinea fowl, in a petting kraal. Gecko Gulch Children's Play Land has crawl-through underground tunnels and climb-on snake sculptures. Yet another exhibit demonstrates the path of the San Andreas Fault across the Coachella Valley. The Tennity Amphitheater stages daily wildlife shows, and "Wildlights," an evening light show, takes place during the winter holidays. A garden center sells native desert flora, much of which is unavailable elsewhere.

Cost: Mid-June-Aug. $9.50, Sept.-mid-June $12.50
Open: Mid-June-Aug., daily 8-1:30; Sept.-mid-June, daily 9-5

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